miRNA biogenesis-associated RNase III nucleases Drosha and Dicer are upregulated in colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Drosha and Dicer are important regulators of microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis, and it has been suggested that their aberrant regulation may cause colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the mRNA expression levels of these two important RNase III nucleases and their association with clinical features in CRC specimens from South Korean patients. The expression levels of Drosha and Dicer mRNA were investigated in 77 CRC tissues and adjacent histologically non-neoplastic tissues using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The expression levels of Drosha and Dicer mRNA were identified to be upregulated in CRC. Neither the Drosha nor the Dicer mRNA expression level was associated with any clinical parameter, including sex, age, TNM stage, body mass index and carcinoembryonic antigen titer in patients with CRC. Furthermore, the expression levels of Drosha and Dicer mRNA were not associated with each other. The miRNA biogenesis-associated RNase III nucleases Drosha and Dicer are significantly upregulated in CRC, suggesting their importance in the pathobiology of colorectal carcinogenesis.